The Bahrain Chronicles
by torriya
Summary: This is a series of short stories that each have a tie-in to Melinda May's mission in Bahrain...some will be more closely related than others. Some stories will be multi-chapter, others will be one-shots. Feel free to submit ideas! Don't forget to review! :)
1. Chapter 1

"Melinda, listen to me".

The young woman kept her eyes averted as her best friend placed a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off and continued to stare at the television.

"May, come on! You've been sick for three weeks now! It's time to see a doctor to find out what's wrong with –"

"I know what's wrong with me, Phil!" she hissed, finally snapping. "Let's think, what happened three weeks ago?" she asked sarcastically. "Oh yeah…Bahrain".

Her voice broke slightly on the word 'Bahrain', undermining her sarcastic attitude. "I'm full of guilt over that little girl, and it's making me sick", she continued softly. "Trust me, no doctor is going to be able to fix that."

Coulson smiled at her sympathetically. "It wasn't your fault, Mel", he murmured. She rolled her eyes _If only he knew._ "Anyway", Coulson continued with a hint of annoyance (he didn't miss the eye roll), "It won't hurt to visit a doctor…you may have a dormant injury from Bahrain".

May's scowl deepened at the mention of Bahrain. "Fine" she growled, "I'll go see the stupid doctor. Just leave me alone."

"Thank you," Coulson said gently. "After your appointment, give me a call so I know you went through with it. And to let me now if anything is wrong.

"No". May replied. "I'll visit the doctor, I promise. But I'm not calling you after."

"Fine", Coulson said casually, "then I'll stop by sometime next week and –"

" _No"_ May repeated, cutting him off. "I don't want you to be my friend out of pity. We don't work together anymore, Phil. There's no need to stay in contact."

"May, I –"

"Goodbye, Phil". May turned her back on her old friend and picked up the phone. "Hello, I'd like to schedule a doctor's appointment for next week."

Sighing, Coulson left his former partner's new apartment. He shook his head sadly at May's desire to distance herself from her loved ones. First filing for divorce with Andrew, now cutting ties with her best friend…there's definitely something wrong with her. Phil desperately hoped that it was something a doctor could fix.

 **Hello my dears! So this is my summer project...what do you think? This isn't the one I was going to publish first (I had two other stories mostly written, and my computer decided to delete them...not nice). So I'm very annoyed about that, but I'll try to re-write them over the next couple weeks. Until then, I'll keep updating this story. Let me know what ya'll think of the Bahrain tie-in...I love how the show represented "Melinda's" tragic backstory, and I hope they explore it more next season.**

 **Don't forget to review...I love hearing from all of you!**

 **-torriya**


	2. Chapter 2

"Melinda, hello!" Dr. Taylor chirped as she opened the door to her office, her cheerful Australian accent nearly making May wince. The young woman was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s brightest doctors. "You haven't come in for an appointment in ages! I'm really not that far away!"

May managed a tight smile. _You're even closer now that I started my desk job upstairs._ "Sorry. I've been…busy".

"No worries, my dear!" the doctor smiled. "Tell me, how's work, how's Andrew?"

"Fine. They're both fine, thanks". Melinda lied, choosing not to elaborate on either situation. She saw no reason for Dr. Taylor to know about her pending divorce or change in occupation.

Dr. Taylor looked slightly put off. "That's good to hear. Now, what's been bothering you?"

"I've been dizzy a lot" May admitted. Even as she spoke, she was struggling to keep her balance. She gripped the chair behind her for support.

Dr. Taylor hummed sympathetically. "Any vomiting?"

May managed a small nod. She hadn't even told Phil about all the vomiting. If he'd known, he would've marched her into the doctor's office himself.

"Is that all?" Dr. Taylor asked.

 _And every time I see a child, I feel like I've been stabbed through the heart._ "Yes, that's all." May said softly.

"Okay, doll", the doctor said soothingly. "I'm going to run a few tests and scans, then I'll see what I can do to make you feel better! We'll have you right as rain in no time!"

May nodded, trying not to roll her eyes. These S.H.I.E.L.D. doctors were far too perky. She leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes.

 _I hope it's nothing too serious,_ she thought anxiously. _I need to work. I can't be confined to bedrest with all these visions of Bahrain running through my head._

She jumped slightly when she heard the doctor re-enter the room. She could immediately tell that something was off.

"What is it?" May asked, trying not to sound panicked.

"Maybe we should call Andrew here first", Dr. Taylor suggested. "This is something he'll want to hear."

"No." May replied firmly. "Tell me what you've found."

"Melinda, it's against protocol to –"

"I don't care about protocol!" May snapped, rubbing her throbbing temples. She softened slightly when she saw the doctor's injured expression. "Please, just tell me what's wrong with me."

"Nothing's wrong with you, Melinda." The young doctor broke into a grin. "In fact, it's just what you've been hoping for!" she squealed. "You're pregnant!"

 **Hello, my dears! I apologize for the shortness of the past two chapters...I'll try to make them longer in the future! Shoutout to my first and only reviewer so far! *tips hat to MelindaTheCavalryMay* Everyone else, don't forget to review! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Melinda opened her eyes to see Andrew sitting next to her, reading a newspaper. She sat up slowly and realized that she was sitting in a hospital bed. She rubbed her forehead, feeling sore and confused.

"What the –"

Andrew looked up at her, smiling gently as he realized she was finally awake. "You fainted, Melinda" he said, rising from his chair. "Stay put; let me get Dr. Taylor for you."

"Why –?" May looked puzzled, not remembering what had just occurred. Then it hit her: she was pregnant.

"Oh, god." She gasped, terror filling her. "Baby…I can't have a baby. Not after…Oh, no, please, no".

"Hush, Melinda" Andrew said soothingly, sitting back down and stroking her hair as May started to shake. "It'll be alright."

Dr. Taylor rushed into the room, hurrying over to her patient. "Melinda, I'm so sorry!" she cried. "I didn't know it would come as such a shock to you!" She looked at May sternly. "You should've told me that you and Andrew were getting divorced. I didn't know, and I – I thought the news about the baby would make you happy. Clearly I was wrong."

The doctor looked like she was about to cry, but Melinda couldn't find it in her to sympathize. Ignoring Dr. Taylor's apologies, she turned to Andrew.

"Andrew, you know I can't care for a child" she murmured shakily. "Not after…after..." she faltered.

"I know." He said. "There are a few options. Adoption, abortion,–"

Melinda looked at him as if he had gone mad. "Abortion? Are you insane?" she snarled. "How could you think I could end the life of an innocent child?"

Andrew hesitated, breaking eye contact with her, and May gasped with realization: _Because I already did._ Andrew looked at her apologetically when he saw the hurt in her eyes as a result of his unspoken accusation.

"Mel–" he began tentatively.

"Get out," She hissed. "Now."

Andrew got up obligingly and headed towards the door, saying "Whatever you choose to do, Melinda, I'll support you. Always."

As the door closed behind him, Dr. Taylor looked at May with a bewildered expression. "What was that?!" she asked.

May closed her eyes tightly as she tried to keep herself from having another meltdown. "I need to make a phone call." Dr. Taylor nodded, and handed her a phone.

As May dialed the number, she gently pressed her other hand over her stomach, terrified of the new life within her. _Please pick up,_ she prayed as the phone continued to ring.

"Phil Coulson," came a familiar voice through the phone. May sighed with relief at the sound of her friend's voice.

"Phil, it's me."

She heard him sigh softly. "I thought we weren't friends anymore," he said coolly. May could tell she had hurt his feelings by ending their friendship.

"Phil, please, I –" her voice broke, and she paused, not wanting to cry.

"What's wrong, Melinda?" he asked, his voice softened. He could tell she was in pain.

"Phil, I'm pregnant," she admitted, beginning to sob. Saying it out loud had finally made it real. "I can't do this, Phil. I need you." She gasped for breath as she rocked back and forth on the bed.

"Hang tight, Melinda", he said firmly. "I'll be right there."

 **Coulson to the rescue! This chapter is a tad longer than the first two...yay! See, I told you!**

 **Thank you to my reviewers, your comments always make me smile! To the guest who asked if this would be a Philinda or Maydrew fanfic: It'll be some Maydrew friendship, with a little Philinda romance. Philinda is my OTP, so in this story and in future ones, their relationship will be very important.**

 **As always, don't forget to review! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello dearies! I'm so sorry for the delay in posting! I was on vacation all of last week and had no computer access! This chapter is a little longer to make up for the delay, and I promise that I'll post the next one soon!**

 **Thank you so much to those who have been reading, and especially my reviewers! I appreciate every comment and try to improve off of every criticism. As always, enjoy!**

Melinda awoke to a soft knock at the door. She wiped away the tears that had accumulated during her nightmares. "Phil", she murmured as she recognized the figure in the doorway.

"Hey, Mel" he replied gently as he walked over and sat on the edge of her bed. "I came as quickly as I could."

"Thank you" May whispered.

Coulson smiled at her, wanting to wrap his arms around her, but afraid that she would shy away. "How are you?" he asked.

May shrugged and glanced towards the ground.

"When did you, um…how long have you…?" Coulson faltered, unsure of how to ask the question.

A faint smirk appeared on May's face at his awkwardness, before fading as she gave the answer: "Three weeks from yesterday." _The morning we left for Bahrain._

Coulson sighed softly, doing the math. If they had never been assigned to that mission in Bahrain, May would've been thrilled to find out she was pregnant. He knew that she and Andrew were ready to start a family, but that was before the tragedy that had shaken May's world.

Coulson slowly reached over and squeezed May's hand. She didn't pull away, which he took as a good sign. They sat there in silence for hours, not needing or wanting to say a word.

Dr. Taylor entered the room holding a clipboard with several forms attached to it. She held the clipboard out to Melinda.

"We need to go over your decision, Agent May. You need to figure out whether you'll be keeping the baby, giving it up for adoption, or aborting it." The doctor said with a tone of formality that hadn't been present the previous day.

May stared blankly at the clipboard, making no effort to take it. Phil gently took the clipboard from the doctor and set it on the table next to Melinda's bed.

"We're still deciding" he told Dr. Taylor firmly. "We'll let you know when we're ready to make a decision."

Dr. Taylor pursed her lips, but walked out without arguing.

May let out a shuddering breath she didn't know that she'd been holding. Coulson reached out and rubbed her back gently.

"You're kinda tense, Mel", he joked softly. "Something been stressing you out lately?"

"Hilarious" she muttered, but allowed him to continue rubbing her back.

"I try" he said with a grin. "Melinda", he began, his tone turning serious. "Do you want to talk about this?"

"What's there to talk about?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow, not willing to let her off that easily.

"Fine." She muttered. "I'm terrified."

"I know," Coulson murmured gently. "Why do you think that is?"

'You're starting to sound like Andrew" May complained.

"Melinda, answer the question please".

"Because I killed a child, Phil!" she snapped. "If I could take the life of a child so easily, then I'm pretty sure I should never be allowed near another one again!"

Phil looked shocked at her response, then saddened. He had no idea that Melinda had been the one to shoot the little girl. His heart broke for his friend as he tried to imagine the pain and terror she must be going through.

May observed his reaction, her face hardening. _You asked,_ she thought bitterly. "Why do you even care, Phil?" she asked resignedly.

 _Because I'm in love with you,_ his mind answered automatically. _Always have been, and always will be._

Coulson's jaw dropped slightly at the words that had so easily popped into his head. _Please tell me I didn't say that out loud,_ he thought in a panic. He fearfully glanced up at May who was giving him an impatient glare. _Thank God,_ he sighed, relaxing slightly, but still shaken. _Where on earth did that thought come from?! I'm not in love with her…am I?_

May cleared her throat loudly, waiting for his answer.

"I, um," he stuttered. "You-you're my best friend, Melinda. I'll always care about you. And there is no doubt in my mind that you would make the most amazing mother in the world."

May looked up at him with a little half smile. Phil could've sworn he saw a tear in the corner of her eye, but before he could get a closer look, she stood up and began walking towards the door.

Coulson jumped up and hurried to catch up with her. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked worriedly.

"To find my doctor" she replied, and for the first time since Bahrain, May sounded like she might be happy. "I'm going to keep this baby."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey there! See, I told you this one would be up soon! There'll probably only be two more chapters in this fanfic, and then I'll start writing the next installment of the Bahrain Chronicles!**

 **Please review, and as always, enjoy!**

A few days later, after the necessary tests had been completed, Coulson drove May back to her apartment.

"How did the talk with Andrew go?" he asked, knowing that she had called him earlier in the week to inform him of her decision.

May shrugged. "Fine. Andrew's very supportive for an ex."

"Do you know how you're going to work out sharing the child?" he asked. When he saw May's expression, he quickly added. "Forget it, you don't have to answer. I was just trying to make conversation."

May nodded at him gratefully. She leaned back into the car seat, indicating that Coulson could continue talking if he wished.

"Well no one's going to mess with your kid at school!" Phil said grinning at her. "He'll have the toughest mom in town!"

" _He?"_ May asked with a smirk. "May women don't give birth to boys."

"You've never been one to follow the rules" Coulson pointed out. "It'll be a boy, I can tell." May rolled her eyes as Coulson pulled into her driveway.

He got out, and ran around the car to open the door for May. "Promise you'll call me if you need anything?" Coulson asked as he walked with Melinda to her door.

"Mel?" he called softly after she didn't answer him. He tilted her chin up to look at him and noticed that she looked afraid. "Melinda, what's wrong?"

"Would you stay with me?" she whispered, her voice nearly inaudible since she was embarrassed to admit she needed help.

"Of course" Coulson replied without hesitation, following her inside the apartment.

They passed the day in relative silence. Coulson could tell that May was still wary of her decision and needed time to process everything. At 11:00, May mumbled that she was going to bed, and Coulson nodded, bidding her good night. He hadn't had the chance to stop off at home that day, so he had to sleep in his undershirt and Captain America boxers.

He laid down on the couch in her living room and drifted off to sleep.

THUMP!

Coulson nearly fell off the couch as he was awakened by a loud noise from the other room.

 _Mel,_ he thought in a panic. He raced to her bedroom and threw open the door. He fumbled around for the light switch, not finding one, and settling for turning on her bedside lamp. He blinked as he adjusted to the light, and glanced fearfully around the room.

 _Damn it, where is she?_ he worried as he noticed she wasn't in her bed, and most of the sheets were in an enormous heap on the floor.

"Melinda!" he shouted, his heart pounding in his chest. Coulson paused as he heard a faint moaning. He looked down and saw the pile of sheets trembling slightly.

"Oh God, Mel" he gasped, kneeling next to the pile of sheets, and gently sifting through the layers to find his friend.

Finally, at the bottom of the heap, he found May's shaking body. Terror was etched in every line of her face as she moaned "Please don't hurt them. Please" as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Shhh, it's okay, Mel" Coulson murmured as he lifted her off the ground and gently laid her down on the bed. He was shocked at how light she was; she had always been small, but it was clear she had lost weight since Bahrain. He tucked one of the bedsheets over her. "Everything's going to be okay".

For a moment, she seemed to relax at the sound of his voice, before she stiffened and began to cry even harder. "Phil, help me!" she sobbed. "Please don't make me do it. Please!"

Phil stroked her hair as he tried not to cry along with her. He felt consumed by guilt for not being there with her when she'd had to make that awful decision in Bahrain.

"Wake up, Melinda, please. It's just a dream, Mel, wake up." He pleaded with her to no avail.

After nearly half an hour with no success, Phil got up and went into the other room to make a phone call.

"Hello?" answered a groggy voice at the other end of the phone.

"Andrew, it's Phil. Phil Coulson."

"Phil, what the hell are you doing calling me at 3 o'clock in the morning?"

"It's Melinda. She's having a nightmare, and I can't pull her out of it. I don't know what to do. I'm scared she's going to hurt herself or the baby."

Andrew was silent for a moment, and Coulson realized how it must've sounded for him to be sleeping over at Andrew's ex's house.

"Andrew, it's not like tha-"

"It doesn't matter, Coulson" the psychologist said, cutting him off. "Just go back in there and keep talking to her. Say whatever you think she needs to hear to calm her down."

"I can't, Andrew" he admitted, his voice breaking slightly. "I couldn't after Bahrain, and I can't now." He cleared his throat and asked, "Could you come?"

"No," Andrew said quietly. "Me being here isn't going to help her. You can do this, Phil. Just get down to her level, and let her know you're there for her." Andrew sighed sadly. "Take care of her, Phil. She needs you."

Coulson nodded and murmured a quiet thank you before hanging up.

He hurried back into May's room to find her still crying and shaking. Phil slowly laid down next to her and gently put his arms around her trembling body, holding her close.

He placed a soft kiss on her temple, and whispered. "I love you, Melinda. So, so much." She froze in his arms, and he held her even tighter as he continued. "Andrew loves you, and your baby is going to love you too." As Coulson continued to whisper to her, May's breathing finally slowed, and Phil let a sigh of relief as she gave a huge yawn and seemed to drift into a peaceful sleep.

Knowing that the worst of her nightmares were over, Phil unwrapped his arms from around her waist, and placed another kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight, Mel." He whispered as he left the room. He wanted to stay with her, but knew that she would be incredibly embarrassed to have appeared so weak in front of him.

Coulson looked at the clock. _4:00 am. I have to be at work in two hours,_ he thought with a groan. _I don't even have a change of clothes. I've got to go back to my place._

Phil didn't want to leave her, but knew that people would be asking questions if he didn't show up to work for the second day in a row. He hastily scribbled a note and left it by her teapot.

 _Had to go to work. Call me if you need anything._

 _I'll see you tonight._

 _-Phil_

After peeking inside May's room one last time to assure she was comfortably asleep, Phil left her apartment, worried and utterly exhausted.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone! Again, sorry for the longish wait for this chapter! I promise, the next one will be out much sooner. I think (?) the next chapter will be the last one for this story. As soon as I'm done, I'll start working on the next one.**

 **Thanks to everyone who's been favoriting, following, and especially reviewing! Enjoy!**

As soon as Coulson's workday ended, he hurried over to Melinda's apartment. He tried turning her doorknob, but of course it was locked.

He knocked softly on the door. "Mel? It's me, Phil."

He received no answer and began to knock harder, his heartbeat quickening. "Melinda! Are you in there? Open up!"

After another minute of knocking with no response, Coulson was ready to break the door down. He had just backed up to get a running start, when he heard a young voice from behind him say,

"Are you looking for the scary lady?"

Coulson whirled around to see a little girl with her blond hair in pigtails. She looked at Coulson expectantly.

"Um, yes." Coulson replied, looking uncomfortable at being caught yelling like a crazy person by a child. "Do you know where she is?"

"Some guy came and took her!" the girl said excitedly. "He was tall. And scary-looking!"

Phil's heart leapt in his throat. "Was she hurt?" he asked in a panic. "Where did he take her?"

The child pursed her lips in concentration. "She didn't look hurt" the girl decided, and Phil let out a relieved breath, but still remained worried. Even if May wasn't showing signs of being in pain, she could still be injured. Coulson knelt down on one knee so he was eye to eye with the child.

"That woman is a very close friend of mine," he told the girl softly. "If there's anything you know that could help me find her, I would be very grateful."

The child looked thoughtful. "What'll you give me?" she asked, and Coulson resisted the urge to scream at her.

"I could have the U.S. government make a very generous contribution to your college fund if you –", he began, but was cut off by a deep voice behind him.

"Let's not start making promises we can't keep, Agent Coulson."

"Sir!" Coulson exclaimed, standing up and whirling around to face his superior. "Agent May is gone! What do we do?" he asked frantically. The little girl looked frightened at Fury's sudden appearance, gave a terrified squeal, and hurried inside her door.

Fury held up his hands to silence Phil. "Come with me. I'll explain everything."

They exited the building together, Coulson glancing back worriedly towards May's apartment. As they got into Fury's vehicle, Coulson broke his silence.

"That girl said she saw a scary man take Mel!" he cried. "She could be in danger!"

Fury raised an eyebrow. "I was the scary man, Coulson" Fury replied with a hint of amusement. "Agent May is not in any danger; I took her to a safe house earlier this afternoon. The knowledge of her pregnancy needs to be kept on the down low; even if she isn't a field agent anymore, there could still be people who'd want to hurt her."

Coulson gave a sigh of relief. "You nearly gave me a heart attack, Nick!" he shouted, and received a cold look in response. Fury did not take kindly to being referred to by his first name. Once he had calmed down, Coulson quietly asked "When can I see her, sir?"

"You can't" Fury replied. Coulson glared at him incredulously, but Fury continued speaking. "She'll be fine, Coulson. I have two of our best doctors staying with her. But until the baby is born, I don't want anyone to know where she is."

"She needs me!" Coulson yelled. "She's been having awful nightmares! Are the doctors going to be able to help her with that?"

"Calm down, Coulson!" Fury ordered. "First of all, I don't even want to know how you know about Agent May's sleeping habits" he said with a smirk. "Secondly, I think it'll be better for both of you to spend some time apart." Coulson looked puzzled, so Fury continued. "It's no secret that you're in love with her, Phil, and-" he began, but Coulson cut him off.

"How on earth–?"

Fury gave a short laugh and rolled his eyes. "I'm afraid you're incredibly obvious." Coulson blushed and looked away as Fury continued in a gentler tone: "Let her deal with this pregnancy on her own. After Bahrain, she needs to regain a sense of who she is. She can't do that if you're constantly glued to her side."

Coulson looked angry, but knew better than to argue with Fury.

"Fine" he muttered dejectedly.

"Because I'm such a nice person," Fury added, "I'm going to give you a mission to help take your mind off things. We've got an interesting situation in Portland that I think you'd be just the guy to handle."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi all! I know this was supposed to be the last chapter, but it ended up being longer than I thought, so I decided to break it up into two parts. I'll try to post the final chapter tomorrow or Tuesday.**

 **As always, enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

 _7 months later_

Coulson had been reluctant to take the assignment in Portland, but was beginning to see the benefits to the job. Coulson was fully aware that Fury had put him on this mission to distract him from Melinda, and Coulson never would've admitted it, but it was working.

"How about we do something for dinner after the concert tonight? Would that be okay?" Coulson asked his companion nervously.

The young woman smiled, fiddling with her cello. "I'd really like that, Phil" she replied.

Coulson grinned at Audrey. "Now where did you say this new sushi place was?" he asked, gently stroking the back of her hand.

The cellist blushed and leaned in to kiss his cheek. She pulled back as Coulson's phone began ringing loudly. Coulson sighed in annoyance. He pressed a light kiss on Audrey's forehead before standing up and answering the phone.

"Hello?" Coulson looked over and smiled at Audrey as she began to quietly tune her instrument.

"Coulson, the baby is coming" announced Fury's deep voice on the other end of the phone.

"What?!" Coulson shouted, causing Audrey to jump. "But it's too soon! It's only been 8 months!"

"I know," Fury replied. "There's a team of doctors with her now, but it's too early to tell if she's in any danger. She's been asking for you, Coulson. I'll be sending a Quinjet to pick you up. It'll be there in 15 minutes."

Coulson looked over at Audrey, who was watching him with a look of concern evident on her pretty face.

"But, I, uh-"

"I'll send Garrett to cover for you," Fury said, anticipating the reason for Coulson's hesitation. "The girl can survive without you for one night. Hell, Melinda did it for seven months."

Hearing May's name seemed to bring Coulson to his senses. _Mel. Terrified. In pain. Please let her and the baby be okay,_ he thought.

"I'll be ready" Coulson told Fury, and hung up the phone. He walked over to Audrey, and looked at her guiltily.

"I'm so sorry, Audrey, but I'm going to have to cancel for tonight."

Audrey bit her lip, trying to hide her disappointment. "Is everything okay?" she asked softly.

"Yes…well, not really. My…" Coulson hesitated, unsure of how to describe his relationship with May. "...partner is having her baby, and it's coming almost a month early. I need to be there for her."

Audrey nodded slowly. "What about–"

"My boss is sending a replacement until I get back" Coulson assured her. "Don't worry, you'll be perfectly safe. We trained under the same Supervising Officer. I'd trust him with my life."

Audrey nodded again, before leaning in to give Coulson a hug. "I hope your friend is okay" she murmured, and Coulson gave her a small smile of thanks, as he sat down to wait. His mind was already a million miles away, or however many miles away Melinda was.

As soon as the Quinjet landed outside, Coulson rushed out. Only once he was in the jet, did he realize that he didn't really say goodbye to Audrey. He passed Garret as his friend was heading out.

"Give my regards to the Cavalry", Garret said. He was one of the few agents who knew about May's pregnancy.

"Don't call her that!" Coulson snapped, and Garret smirked, as if he had just proven a point to himself. Garret waved as he stepped off the Quinjet.

As the aircraft took off, Coulson approached the pilot. "How long until we get there?"

"Half hour, tops".

Coulson took a seat, and glanced at his watch every couple minutes. At the 28-minute mark, he snapped at the pilot. "You said half hour, tops!" he accused. "It's been 28 minutes, and…16 seconds, and we're still not there!"

"Don't worry, sir" the pilot replied patiently. We're landing now."

"Coulson looked out the window and realized that it was true. He muttered an apology, and stood by the door to the Quinjet.

The moment he landed, he rushed outside and burst through the doors of the hospital.

He rushed through the doors of the hospital. "Room 114" he shouted, startling the person at the front desk. Fury had texted him the room number when Coulson was on the plane.

The receptionist indicated a hallway on his left. "Third room on the right, sir" she said politely. "But I just want to warn you that only family members are allowed in the room. Anyone else will have to stay in the waiting room."

Coulson ignored her as he rushed down the hallway. He stopped when he saw Fury sitting in the waiting room. Fury rose and walked over to him.

"How is she?" Coulson asked.

"As far as I know, she's hanging in there." Fury replied. "They won't let us in to see her…we're not family."

"You're the direc-!" Fury clapped his hand over Coulson's mouth with a glare. Coulson's eyes widened as he realized what he'd almost let slip in the middle of a waiting room. "Surely you couldn't pull a few strings, sir?" he asked, lowering his voice.

Fury scoffed. "You try getting past that nurse," he said, nodding towards a stern looking woman who was watching them warily. "I've half a mind to recruit her."

 _Might as well give it a shot,_ Coulson thought. He tentatively approached the nurse. She was a tiny woman, with short dark hair that gave her a military-style look.

"Um, could I-"

"Are you family?" the nurse asked, cutting him off. Coulson hesitated, and the nurse pursed her lips in annoyance. "Well?"

"Not technically" Coulson admitted.

"Then no."

"But, ma'am", he pleaded. "I'm her…her best friend. She's been asking for me…she needs me…the baby needs me."

"I'm sorry, mister" the nurse replied, not looking sorry at all. "This is one of the securest hospitals in the country. You'll be able to see your friend once she's done giving birth to that baby".

"Listen, I-"

Coulson froze as a drawn-out scream pierced the air. Though he had never heard May scream before, he knew it was her.

"Mel" he gasped, and tried to shove past the nurse. She blocked his way with a snarl. Another scream came from May's room, and hospital lights swirling before him, Coulson collapsed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey ya'll! So here's the final chapter for this short story! I hope you enjoyed reading it! Please let me know what you think! I'll be uploading my next instalment of the Bahrain Chronicles soon, and I'm thinking of making it a separate story, so if you would like to know when that story comes around, please follow me!**

 **As always, enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

Coulson blinked awake, and saw Fury's amused face bending over him. Coulson sat straight up, mind swirling.

"Mel!" he cried. "What happened? Is she okay?"

"She's fine, Coulson" Fury replied reassuringly. "Don't worry; she and the baby are going to be fine."

Coulson gave an enormous sigh of relief.

"I've called both Andrew and May's mother, Lian." Fury added "They'll be here shortly". Coulson nodded and stared longingly at Room 114.

"Didn't I mention? You're allowed in now," Fury said with a tone of innocence. Coulson stood and rushed over to May's door. "If you still want to see her, that is", Fury added with a smirk as Coulson pushed open the door to May's room.

Coulson entered warily, his eyes immediately focusing on his former partner who lay on the hospital bed with her eyes closed and sweat trickling down her forehead. Two doctors stood across the room, gently cleaning off the crying infant.

Coulson walked over to May, and gently pushed away the hair clinging to her forehead. She slowly opened her eyes and gave a contented sigh when she saw her friend leaning over her.

"Hey," she murmured faintly.

Coulson grinned at her. "You did it, Mel. I'm so proud of you."

She managed a small smile. "The doctors said since he was born so early, I'm going to have to stay here with him for a while until he's strong enough to leave."

"If he's anything like his mother, I'm sure he'll be out of here in no time" Coulson replied. "Hang on," Coulson said, furrowing his eyebrows, "He? I thought you said May women only give birth to girls".

May rolled her eyes. "Turns out you were right. I've never been one to follow the rules."

Coulson laughed in agreement. He gently placed a kiss to Melinda's forehead, and heard her give a sharp intake of breath at the intimate contact. Coulson looked at her questioningly as she pulled away.

"Phil, I-" she began softly, avoiding his gaze.

Coulson frowned as she looked away, and he backed up from her bed. _Crap,_ Phil thought angrily as he watched Melinda stare at the ground. _She probably remembers what I said to her seven months ago when she was having the nightmares, and doesn't feel the same way. That's what I get for listening to Andrew._

"It's fine, Melinda" he said, cutting her off with a choked voice. "I'll go get Fury; I'm sure he'd like to see you."

"Phil, wait" May called, and Coulson turned around, trying to hide the hurt in his eyes. May gave him a faint smile, "Would you like to meet your godson?"

"I, what?" Coulson asked, his throat constricting with emotion. "You made me godfather?"

"Of course I did", May replied with a smile, trying to hold back tears of her own. "Who else could teach him about Captain America, cars, and being a wonderful friend?"

Coulson held out his arms as the doctor placed the now sleeping infant into his embrace. He looked down at the tiny baby and felt a tear slide down his cheek.

"He's beautiful, Mel" Coulson murmured, sitting down next to May and letting her stroke her son's dark hair. "Just like his mother."

Tears rolled down Melinda's cheeks as she looked at her child, and Coulson knew she was still remembering and regretting her decision in Bahrain. Coulson squeezed her hand with his hand that wasn't holding the baby.

"What's his name?" Coulson asked, mostly to distract May from her emotions.

"Jonathan," May said quietly, finally meeting Coulson's eyes. "Jonathan Phillip May."

Coulson's heart felt like it might burst. Not only had May entrusted him with the task of godfathering her child, but she had named the baby after him, a sign that she wanted her son to grow up to be just like her closest friend.

Once again, Coulson leaned over and pressed a tender kiss to May's forehead, conveying every emotion he had ever felt toward her in a single gesture. And this time, the new mother did not pull away.


End file.
